Sunday, September 26, 2010

I have invested about 8 hours of work to make my first two-shot slingshot crossbow.

I still don't have access to my welding gear, lathe and mill, so I had to do it in wood.

I wanted it to be as strong as my most powerful onces - but per "barrel". So it had to be really sturdy, bulky and a bit bizarre. But it works like a charm.

The trigger mechanism allows me to shoot one barrel after the other or two at the same time. A really, really simple lever serves as thr trigger.

Due to the necessary thickness of the rubber involved, I had to make the fork really high. But that is not so bad as this weapon has to be cocked like a crossbow, with your foot stomping down on the rear stock and both hands pulling up the fork. Also the "barrel" had to be aluminum, thin wood is not strong enough for this DOUBLE HUNTER BAND shooting device.

Monday, September 20, 2010

The Slingshot Channel reviews the only knife that is also a slingshot: The "SYRVIVAL" by the German knife maker company "Blade Systems".

The knife is a tactical beauty in itself, made from high tech "Chipper Steel" and with an splash etched finish. It is super sharp and the canvas micarta handle is really perfect for a strong grip.

The sheath and belt system is up to top military standards with the Tek Lok belt clip and the Blackhawk Serpa QDS adaptor.

The Kydex sheath contains a whetstone to sharpen the edge should it ever become dull.

A fire starter kit can create enough sparks to start a fire at any time. (People pointed out to me that I am using the starter kit wrong in the video, have to slide the steel along the rod.)

The highlight and specialty of the "SYRVIVAL" is the slingshot attachment. It can be mounted to the grip of the knife in a few seconds, and then it turns the knife into a very effective hunting cattie. The original "Fish Hunter" bands that come with the product are amongst the most praised bands available today. They can deliver 27 Joules of energy, more than most air guns and in the same league as hunting bows.

The starting price for the knife is 305 Euros, the complete package with all the bells and whistles cost 508 Euros. Not cheap, but well worth it - a handmade beauty that is as efficient as it looks.

I figured that the "W" would make the frame too big. So I used a length of flat steel I salvaged from the scrap heap and attached a wooden grip and wooden fork arms, all with solid metal screws. I hammered nuts into the fork arms, and sealed the holes with epoxy putty later.

Then I cut a piece of leather and clamped it between the handle and the screw.

It looks like a cutlass handle now - so I had a name for the design.

This is as basic as it gets, a full blown hammergrip style frame. The last picture shows it rigged up with really thin butterfly bands, superfast for lighter ammo. Without the leather protection, handslaps gallore.

It is a superb shooter, probably no beauty queen but the king of functionality.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

If it's the right one, yes it can! This video compares a store bought Trumark slingshot with the original bands against a genuine Jörg Sprave "W" slingshot, rigged up with dual Thera Band Gold bands. Both slingshots are tested against a melon, a small pumpkin, wooden planks and then against a modern brick. The hits are recorded both in real time and in super slow motion.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

I must say that this slingshot is pretty darn effective. I think I found the ideal band dimension for the 16 mm lead balls I made with the Bellsofhythe 12 shot mould.

I tested it extensively today, in butterfly of course. I leaned a wooden plank into a corner of my stone wall in the garden. The ball flew right through the plank, hit one stone corner, ricochetted and hit the other side. The pics show what it looks like now (compared to the original condition).

Note that I am using lead from car wheel weights, picked them up for free. This material is much harder than the lead used for muzzle loaders, in fact if you use it in a muzzle loader it will damage the rifling in the barrel.